The 67-year-old was battered by terrible weather on his second night out of Bilbao, Spain, in the Velux 5 Oceans race, and was forced to return to La Coruna on Wednesday night to carry out repairs to his yacht, Saga Insurance. But yesterday event organisers said he had managed to set off again.

Knox-Johnston was one of four competitors who were forced to seek harbour after the storm. In 1969, he became the first person to sail non-stop round-the-world single-handedly.